Yeah
It might seem like the unlikeliest post of the blog to-date but I'm pushing the theory that the Kilburn of today has a claim on the ancient english heritage of the 9th century AD.Part of me is thinking that if Kilburn were a small market town and were located in the leafy areas of one of the shire counties we would have a proud and illuminated heritage - shown off by statues, plaques, and allusions to this long historic tradition. Yet we don't - why?
This is a bit of a warning shot for those regulars of this blog: I'm a Governor at Hampstead School and it's a great school - this warning is that over the next few weeks I'm going to cover some of the great work that the school does...
Built that the end of the 19th century it was from 1898 to 1960 the home of Haberdashers' Aske's School before they moved. It seems that the school moved in 1898 but didn't vacate it's former site in Hoxton until 1902.
As the annual Armistice Day approaches I try and keep abreast with local services and tributes.
I've been up and down Fitzjohn's Avenue more times than I care to remember and have been involved in countless discussions on College Crescent... but rarely about the fountain.
"This fountain together with the
In line with these sorts of memorials the fountain is elaborate - almost too elaborate - but of interest to me is the level of detail and design in the buttons to trigger the water itself.
There is now a modern plaque on the other side (northside) which reflects the later refurbishment of the fountain on 8th October 1994 by the Heath and Old Hampstead Society.
I was wandering down the High Road early the other morning when I spied what I had noticed before but this time the florist/flower stall wasn't there.
Now this mural - unlike the stunner under the Kilburn underground - has a different origin - what I like about it is the fundamental homespun atmosphere and design.
Two of the panels have white sillouettes of the team who i think might have been involved in the design and painting of the mural. In that context someone out there must know a little more about this and must be able to help identify who people are.
As loads of you know the Overground North London Line has been undergoing some changes to the track - improvements to cope with heavier freight as well as wider enhancements to the line.
I thought I'd better elucidate more on the context of Whitestone Pond and it's significance and also show off some of the pictures I took on the open day to mark the 1908 Olympics.
The Pond itself is not a constant size or precise location - over time it has shuffled moved, enlarged and varied. Not least the edging has changed several times in the last century - and is to change again - and indeed until 1899 there was also another pond at Branch Hill just nearby
The other earlier crucial part of the history was the use of the site for an early warning beacon - referenced as being first built in 1576 but used in 1588 during the Armada. The site is also cited as the location of encampment for Wat Tyler's rebellious unit under Jack Straw before marching on London. The Peasant's revolt ended with the leaders being hanged.
It's a direct guessing game - it's just for fun - there are no prizes - but which of these is 1908 and which is a current day snap...? :-)
The sepia photograph is one of the postcards from my personal collection of the local area and you can see the horse carts going through the water in the background. The pond had two effects - the first was to water and refresh the horses that had come up/down the hill and second it cleaned the wheels of mud to stop slippage esp. if going down the hill.
I've had a few pieces on here about war memorials and it has always struck me how so many of these are then not recognised on 11th 11th 11th each year.
This has to be nominated as one of the most grand, impressive houses of the locality - It's Old Conduit House on the corner of Lyndhurst Terrace and Lyndhurst Road.
Lyndhurst Terrace itself has changed name - first Rosslyn Park after Rosslyn House (itself named after Alexander Wedderburn, Earl of Rosslyn). It was also called Windsor Terrace apparently because the Castle was visible over the fields!
The old Central Library on Arkwright Road has all the atmosphere of a grand old library in the philanthropic tradition and so it is not surprising to find that the cost was covered by a gift from Sir Henry Harben.
I think it's partly the colourful nature of the beast, but I find myself having a curious fascination for pub signs.
Now in a rural setting pubs are absolutely fundamental to a community - now in urban settings they are much more the local - and looking round in NW3 and NW6 I'm struck by the extent to which they reflect back the local communities in which they sit...
Now, there was quite a lot of internet hooha when the Sir Colin Campbell has taken down the pub sign and not replaced it - with all sorts of motives for that being mooted.
I've posted at length before about the Kilburn High Road graffiti mural
The really amazing thing about it is the cultural influence on the design.
We will always lead the way...."
Here at 10 Cambridge Avenue, just off the Kilburn High Road, we have the Animals War Memorial Dispensary of the RSPCA.
The front of the building has a large bronze plaque above the door as a memorial to animals killed in the first world war. It's an impressive piece of bronze sculpture by F Brook Hitch of Hertford.
484,143 animals killed by enemy action, disease or accident in the war and of 725,216 treated by the RSPCA during the war.
I'm at risk of being repetitive and being an obsession on one small topic, but it's still "welcome to Stead High Street" here in NW3.
Well, it's not the most obvious topic but here in north west London it's underfoot down virtually every single street.
The other observation is the sheer physical effort involved in going into the basement to get your coal etc - the nature of victorian and edwardian life and just how quickly that whole notion has disappeared from our lives.
